Newsletter #1961

Not sure this quite works now but, erm, 2 down, 1 blown, 35 to go?!

Obviously a very disappointing result against Stoke, however, one senses it may be a season of increasing shocks that it’s too early to press alarm buttons quite yet.

Unsure if the subsequent break for internationals is a help or a hindrance but many Blues in action, perhaps most notably, Sergio and Zaba scoring and starring in Argentina’s ‘revenge’ win against Germany. Worryingly Pablo left the field early and there are reports of injury for Kompany too.

Monday saw the last day of the transfer window. Normally we often take centre stage, however, it was our friends from Trafford doing the fervoured business of securing the World’s most expensive loan deal. Inspiration or desperation, perhaps a touch of both, but only time will tell if it sees them back in next year’s Champions League.

Our own deals saw the departures of what seems like a home-sick Algredo, which seems like a real loss despite his remarkable loss of form last season and perhaps of more note the first step of Micah leaving the club with a courageous loan move to Fiorentina. Really refreshing to see a player making such a bold effort to improve himself, good on ya Micah.

John Guidetti also departed for another season long loan, this time with Celtic, after a protracted move was finally ratified by FIFA. I wonder if he has missed an opportunity with Negredo departing?

Interesting times that’s for sure.

Kind regards, Phil.

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Manchester City 0 Stoke City 1 (HT 0-0)

City slumped to a shock defeat to a competitive Stoke side who showed that application and endeavour can be victorious even in the most unlikely settings. It was our first home defeat to the Potters since the dark days of 1997/98, and our last in the top flight to them since October 1980 in the final weeks of Malcolm Allison’s abortive second spell at City.

Bacary Sagna made his debut at right back, with Kolarov returing on the other flank, and for the first time Sergio Aguero and Stevan Jovetic started a game together.

We never really got going for any length of time. Stoke’s pressing and harrying in midfield meant that we could not dominate for any significant length of time in the first half. The athletic Nzonzi in particular was often on hand to deny Yaya room in midfield and get his foot in where necessary.

It was a flat first half where we didn’t pass the ball quickly enough, and we were too static in the face of Stoke’s massed defence. Chances were at a premium. Silva found Sagna on the right in the 11th minute and Nasri forced a sharp save out of Begovic from the French full back’s clever cut back. Not that Stoke came just to defend and their wingers Moses and Biram Diouf gave Bacary Sagna and Aleks Kolarov plenty to think about. Indeed, Stoke might have had a penalty in the 18th minute when Biram Diouf went down in the box. TV replays later showed that Kolarov made contact but that Diouf went down rather too theatrically. As referees are tending to punish this sort of behaviour, we got away with that one, but if Mason thought Diouf had dived then surely he should have booked him?

A couple of minutes later Aguero fired over from an angle but it was only a half chance, with a densely packed centre of the Stoke box proving to be an obdurate barrier.

Our play was one-paced, laboured and pedestrian and this played into Stoke’s hands, and there were long periods of frustration as we got nowhere. In first half stoppage time Aguero went on one his trademark diagonal runs, back heeled to Kolarov on the left and from the Serbian number 11’s cut back, Yaya’s sharp shot was tipped onto the top of the bar and over by Begovic. The tip over was obvious from more than 100 yards away but not to Lee Mason and his linesman. How could they be do inobservant? How can a referee habitually makes so many bad decisions?

The weather mirrored the match from a Blue point of view. We’d started off in bright sunshine before the greyer clouds and steady rain enveloped Manchester.

Nevertheless we hoped for better in the second half. After all, we normally get an improvement nowadays! Still, Stoke’s well organised mass rearguard had the answers. Nasri and Silva cleverly exchanged passes and the former’s shot was deflected behind by a Stoke body in the 50th minute. From a Nasri cut back, Yaya’s angled shot was tipped over by Begovic in the 56th minute.

Two minutes later Stoke took an unexpected lead, which prove to be decisive. A City short corner routine had seen the ball go into the box and it broke for Biram Diouf 25 yards from his own goal. The Stoke forward advanced at pace past Kolarov with ease and tricked his way past the already booked Fernandinho like he wasn’t there before slotting the ball through Hart’s legs. The small contingent of visiting Potters went potty. It was a catalogue of errors from City. The City keeper could and should have done better and was beaten far too easily. Kolarov and Fernandinho should have made a better fist of their challenges and Sagna might have got across to cover. They should have done better as our defence was badly exposed with Demichelis and Kompany still up in Stoke’s penalty box from the set piece. Fernandinho in particular got too square on as Diouf ran at him and was easily passed.
Stoke almost doubled their lead when Odemwingie skinned Kolarov and his cross just eluded Diouf by a hairsbreadth.

For the last half an hour City laid siege to the Stoke goal. Yaya had an effort deflected behind by a block on the hour. We were badly crying out for something different, particularly some pace and some low crosses, ie. particularly Jesus Navas. Pellegrini rang the changes just after the hour replacing Nasri with Navas and Jovetic wth Dzeko. In the 66th minute Dzeko had three attempts at goal: in the first move his effort was blocked and from the rebound his shot was deflected behind for a corner. Navas used his pace and got behind the Stoke defence to cross but Dzeko headed over. There was an appeal for a penalty handball after Aguero shot, but it was not given.

Stoke still carried a threat and Crouch headed past the post from a Bardsley cross.

Navas and Aguero worked space in the box but the latter’s effort was wide, as was Silva’s attempt. Still, City still struggled to penetrate a crowded Stoke box but our final ball lacked the quality to open the door the visitors got in block after block. When we tried an aerial route, Shawcross led the way in heading out corners, free kicks and high crosses.

It was very frustrating. Yaya Toure had a shot which got a deflection that could have gone anywhere, with Begovic wrong footed an beaten, the ball agonisingly spun wide if his left hand post. Navas had a shot deflected behind too.
Then with the clock ticking down Yaya knocked the ball past Stoke left back Pieters who caught him. Referee Mason again refused to award a penalty and booked Yaya for diving. Like Diouf in the first half, Yaya was a bit too much of a Thespian and went down rather easily. However it was arguably a stronger claim for a penalty as Pieters’ boot came down in a raking motion and made more prolonged contact with Yaya’s leg.

We got what we deserved: nothing. Stoke were quicker to the ball in midfield and were very, very well organised. They filled the gaps which Nasri and Silva normally slide balls into, and repeatedly got bodies in the way of shots. They defended in depth when they had to, which was most of the game, but did try to attack on the break. Credit is due to them.

Mark Hughes was clearly delighted with his players, making sure that he congratulated every one of them before they left the pitch. One couldn’t help thinking that he wanted to stay out there for his own gratification, given his past history here, though to his credit, he didn’t gloat. Vincent Kompany, ever the class act, and a Hughes signing, went out of his way to congratulate him as he left the pitch. Whatever people may think of Mark Hughes, he clearly has the respect of Sir Vinny.

We were laboured and pedestrian. There was not enough zip in our passing and we lacked the killer incisive ball. Stoke’s Biram Diouf took his goal well, but Kolarov, Fernando, Sagna and Hart should have done better. It was very disappointing.

Manuel Pellegrini picked the team that most people would have agreed with. Whilst it would have been better to have seen more of Navas, playmakers Nasri and Silva had been very impressive against Liverpool and were worthy of starting. Sagna needed game time. There is no need to panic. It was one collective off day and every team has those in a long season. Let’s hope there are no more of them. Come on City.

Stoke Goal: Biram Diouf 58
Ratings:
Hart: Had little to do, but was beaten far too easily for Stoke’s goal. A top class goal keeper should not be nutmegged like that: 5
Sagna: Did well to keep Moses quiet and had one good cutback in attack in the first half. Other than that he didn’t offer much going forward. Might have done more to cover across in the second half when Stoke scored: 6
Kompany: As ever, he took responsibility. He tried to get us going but his passing not always at its best: 6
Demichelis: Beaten by Crouch in the air quite frequently: 5
Kolarov: Outpaced for the goal and soon afterwards. His crossing was poor. It was his worst game for a while: 4
Nasri: Tried to create but like his team mates, his final ball wasn’t good enough to break through Stoke’s defensive blanket: 6
Yaya: Tried to find a goal, and went closest with three shots. Should have had a penalty but theatrics cost him. Didn’t always chase back when Stoke broke on us: 6
Fernando: Competitive until he went off with a groin injury. One can’t help thinking he woud have tackled Diouf and this prevented Stoke’s goal, had he still been on the pitch: n/a
Silva: As ever he strived to create, but the gaps were at a premium. 6
Jovetic: He wasn’t in the game and was a bit static by his standards. He didn’t get much service to be fair: 5
Aguero: Lively and looked to creative even in tight spaces: 6

Subs:
Fernandinho: Booked, and this affected him later when he was passed by Biram Diouf too easily, when he got too square on: 5 Navas (for Nasri 63): He used his pace well and was our best hope of creating something when he came on. We could have done with earlier: 6 Dzeko (for Jovetic 63) : Went close. 6

Best Oppo: Crouch: Busy at both ends, winning most challenges in the air: 8

Ref-watch: Lee Mason: How can one referee make so many mistakes? It would be very kind to say he was “inconsistent”. Consistently poor, more like: 2

Phil Banerjee (phil.banerjee at orange.net)

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TRANSFER DEADLINE DAY

What is the point of the Transfer Deadline Day if clubs – especially big clubs like Arsenal and ManUre – can apply for an extension beyond the 11pm deadline. They have had all summer to do the business so why should they get an extension? If the business is not done by 11pm it should not be allowed. Otherwise what is the point of a transfer window?

Personally I’d scrap the transfer window and go back to the old system when you could sign players up until an agreed date at the end of March (to stop the ridiculous situation of a team trying to buy loads of players to win so few matches).
This summer has proved what I and many others have been saying for years: the so called Financial Fair Play regulations were designed to stop City and PSG spending and to allow the Establishment clubs like ManUre, Liverpool an d Arsenal spend the most, in order to rebuild their cartel. Who have been the biggest spenders? ManUre, Arsenal and Liverpool?

Meanwhile City have been restricted to spending £49m as UEFA found City supposedly “guilty” of breaching so-called “Financial Fair Play” regulations. City, as it happens, will not only be comfortably under the £49m net spend, but may break even, if Alvaro Negredo’s move to Valencia turns into a permanent deal.

I wonder what rule the Establishment will dream up next to try to stop us? Any ideas? Punishment for breaking even or for Manuel Pellgrini walking on the cracks in the pavement?

Phil Banerjee (phil.banerjee at orange.net)

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SOUTH KOREAN BLUES

I have just moved to South Korea and am living in Daegu (Bangchon) and was wondering if there were any other City fans living in the country.

The only other one I know lives out in the sticks west of Jeonju.

It would be great to see some friendly faces for the big games!

Joe Ryding (joeryding at gmail.com)

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AND FINALLY… MICAH RICHARDS…ALWAYS ONE OF US

Thanks and very best wishes to Micah Richards who is leaving Manchester City for Fiorentina after 12 years at City.

Thanks Micah.

Cracking lad, great servant to our club and a Champion. Love him.

One of the many reasons why we’ll always love Micah Richards at MCFC:
“@MicahRichards: City will always be my heart and soul. Thank u to everyone at the club over the last 12 years. Ctid xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Who says there is no room for sentiment in the game?

A full tribute will appear here soon.

Phil Banerjee (phil.banerjee at orange.net)

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MCIVTA FAQ [v1112.01]

[1] MCIVTA Addresses

Articles (Philip Alcock)         : editor@mcivta.city-fan.org
News/rumour                      : news@mcivta.city-fan.org
Subscriptions (Madeleine Hawkins): subscriptions@mcivta.city-fan.org
Technical problems (Paul)        : paul@city-fan.org
FAQ (David Warburton)            : faq@mcivta.city-fan.org

[2] What are MCIVTA’s publishing deadlines?

Deadlines for issues are nominally 6pm, Monday and Thursday evenings by email. Unfortunately we cannot accept email attachments.

[3] MCIVTA Back Issues and Manchester City Supporters’ home page/Twitter

http://www.mcivta.com/ is the unofficial Manchester City Supporters’ home page. Created in 1994, it is the longest running of the Manchester City related web sites. Back issues of MCIVTA are also hosted on the site. You can also follow on www.twitter.com/mcivta to get the latest updates.

[4] What is the club’s official web site?

The official club web site can be found at http://www.mcfc.co.uk/ and the official club Twitter page at www.twitter.com/mcfc. The club also has a facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/mcfcofficial

[5] What supporters’ clubs are there?

The Official Supporters’ Club and the Centenary Supporters’ Association have merged to become the Manchester City Supporters’ Club (http://www.mcfcsupportersclub.com/). The club also recognise the Manchester City Disabled Supporters’ Association (http://www.mcdsa.co.uk/).

[6] Where can I find out about Points of Blue?

The committee operates as an interface between supporters and the club. Points of Blue appears on the club website under the “Fans” heading (http://www.mcfc.co.uk/Fans).

[7] What match day broadcasts are available on the web?

Live match commentary can be found on the club website. The Radio Manchester pre- and post-match phone-in is available on the web at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/england/manchester/.

[8] Where can I find out if City are live on satellite TV?

http://www.satfootball.com/ provides a listing of Premier League games being shown on UK domestic and foreign satellite channels. A useful site for North American viewers is http://msn.foxsports.com/.

[9] Do we have a Usenet newsgroup?

Yes we do: uk.sport.football.clubs.man-city is our home on usenet. If you are not familiar with Usenet, a basic explanation is available here: http://searchnetworking.techtarget.com/definition/Usenet

[10] Do any squad members have their own web pages?

There are a number available and direct links can be found at http://www.mcivta.com/players/

[11] Do any squad members have their own Twitter accounts?

A list of genuine player accounts is maintained at http://twitter.com/#!/MCFC/players

[12] Where can I find match statistics?

Statistics for the current season are available from the club site, but for a more in-depth historical analysis try http://www.mcfcstats.com/.

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Newsletter #1961

2014/09/06